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California Senator Jean Fuller Receives AOPA Award

On April 24, I had the privilege of presenting California State Senator Jean Fuller (R-18) an AOPA “Friend of Aviation Award” in her office at the Capitol. Senator Fuller and her husband Russ are pilots and own a Bonanza.
Senator Fuller has been a strong supporter of general aviation. In 2010 she was the Keynote Speaker at the Association of California Airports Fall Conference. She tells fascinating stories about when she and Russ were newlyweds and chose to buy a Cessna 172 instead of a second car.
Many of the readers will recall the potentially disastrous AB 48 legislation passed in 2009 with no notice to or input from the aviation community. AB 48 would have subjected all flight training professionals in California to regulation by the state’s Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education. It is widely believed that the fees and processes specified in AB 48 would have put most California flight instructors out of business. In 2011, Senator Fuller, in collaboration with AOPA and NATA, authored SB 619. SB 619 provided a specific exemption from the AB 48 provisions for FAA certified flight instructors. The bill passed both houses of the legislature with overwhelming majorities and was signed by the Governor. It became effective January 1, 2012.
We heartily thank Senator Fuller and her staff for their continued support of general aviation.